Path To Prestbury – Dublin Racing Festival

What a weekend of racing it was in Dublin.

Leopardstown nailed it, from the sublime racing to the brilliant atmosphere – the Dublin Racing Festival had it all.

A fantastic tradition in Irish Racing has been created from thin air, and everyone involved deserves a lot of credit.

Leopardstown is just a brilliant place. You look around at the idyllic scenery and you’d forget just how close you are to the hustle and bustle of Dublin City. The festival is beautifully set up for visitors and it was great to see an abundance of racegoers making the pilgrimage from across the Irish Sea.

The festival went superbly, which was a necessity after the dumbfounded reaction to the news that Irish Racing is to move to Racing UK. That’s a discussion for another day though.

Prestbury Park clues were aplenty also, and my few ante post selections remain alive and well. It’s now only five weeks away and it’s a good time to take stock of where we stand now going into Cheltenham.

Champion Hurdle

The first point to take from the weekend is that the Champion Hurdle is safely in Buveur D’Air’s safekeeping.

Faugheen just isn’t showing what he used to.

Two hurdles out on Saturday and Faugheen looked like he was going to kick away from persistent challenger Supasundae. That famous change of gear never materialised from Faugheen and Supasundae was beautifully placed to outstay him for Robbie Power in the end.

No disrespect to Supasundae, but he should never be beating a horse as epic as Faugheen.

He’s 10 now and he’s probably just not as good as he once was. You’d be a fool to think he’s finished, but it’s hard to see him coming back from a defeat to Supasundae, who is now all set for the Stayers Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Faugheen has made racing a better place, and owes us nothing.

Buveur D’Air himself wasn’t faultless at Sandown in a terrible contest, but that fault lays with Barry Geraghty who was admiring himself in the big screen long enough to almost miss the challenge of John Constable.

It’s very hard to see Buveur D’Air being beaten at Cheltenham – especially now it appears Faugheen is not what he once was.

Bet on The Champion Hurdle

Odds are provided at time of writing, please check your betslip to confirm they have not changed before betting.

Novice Chasers

I was quite happy with how the Novice Chases worked out at Leopardstown. The blogs selections mostly seem to be in one piece thereafter.

Footpad won as he wanted, and is just breath-taking jumping fences. However, upon returning from injury, Petit Mouchoir’s connections will be content also.

I still think all competitors have a lot to do to beat Footpad, but the reverse forecast between these two again might be the bet on the day. Petit Mouchoir and Footpad remain well clear of this Arkle field for me and we can look forward to another fascinating duel in 5 weeks.

Monalee was superb and I was chuffed to bits to see him do that. I think he’s a very special horse. I said in my Novice Chase piece that I wanted to see him again before wagering at the festival and I was not disappointed.

Firstly, he jumped superbly from fence to fence. He didn’t put a foot wrong, and more importantly showed no ill effects of that horror fall at Christmas.

Making all at Leopardstown is very hard, especially on that ground and he did it with aplomb.

Monalee seemed to have to win the Flogas Novice Chase about three times with Snow Falcon, Invitation Only and Al Boum Photo all staging proper rallies, but despite idling in front he held them off with a degree of comfort in the end.

That was the best novice chase ran over a distance further than 2 miles this year, and I genuinely think we’ve seen the 2018 RSA winner. 9/2 is a lovely price and I can’t believe he isn’t favourite.

In the process, Monalee also franked Penhill’s Albert Bartlett win from last season, so let’s hope Penhill can make it to Prestbury Park in one piece for the Stayers Hurdle as I’m still not convinced Supasundae stays three miles all that well!

Al Boum Photo ran a lovely race in second and is a player over further, but I can only see him placing in an RSA after that run. I think Monalee holds him.

Dounikas (4th) will be interesting if rocking up for a handicap chase or the four miler at the festival and whilst I’ve backed Invitation Only for the RSA, I’d chance him in a JLT now.

On better ground he will be able to dictate the race easier from the front and I thought if anything on the day Monalee simply out-gunned him late on. He still ran lovely race when you consider him going wide and his mistake three out.

He put away a very good field here and he did it with ease. Jack Kennedy oozed confidence the whole way around, and knew exactly what he had under him. Samcro wins whatever race he faces at the festival and it will be intriguing to see what direction he goes.

The Supreme looks particularly poor now, and it wouldn’t surprise me were he to go that direction. Duc Des Genievres ran another eye-catching race in second, with the race not suiting and he will be interesting being aimed at a proper pace and over a more suitable trip.

We learned at Musselburgh also that Claimintakinforgan isn’t as good as I had envisaged and the Supreme and Ballymore should be going to Ireland really with Getabird and obviously Samcro the beneficiaries.

The weekend also showed just how strong the Irish challenge is in the Mare’s Novice Hurdle and the Triumph.

Alletrix was easily dismissed by Laurina at Fairyhouse, and she more than franked that form with an easy win in a very competitive Mares Handicap on Sunday. It’s scary to think how good Laurina is now. Whilst Maria’s Benefit will be a big threat at Cheltenham, it’s extremely difficult to look past Laurina who still has plenty of improvement left in her.

Apples Shakira remains a strong favourite for the Triumph Hurdle, and of course she deserves to be there, but the Irish flexed their muscles in this department in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle which had the feel and time of a good race.

Espoir D’allen flattered to deceive, but Farclas and Mr Adjudicator looked very promising animals on the day. I’d actually fancy Farclas to turn this form around at Cheltenham as I feel he was ridden to beat the favourite and Mr Adjudicator rather picked up the pieces in the end. When you add in Stormy Ireland for Willie Mullins, his reported best juvenile, the Irish Challenge is strong here if Apples Shakira isn’t on song on the day.

We Have A Dream was solid at Musselburgh on unsuitable conditions also on Sunday on a day when Nicky Henderson’s better novices failed to fire, and along with Apples Shakira, leads the way for the home team.

The only upside I can take from Musselburgh is that with Mr Whipped also flopping, Nicky might run Santini in the Albert Bartlett now, a horse put up here at 16/1 for Prestbury Park glory.

Bet on Cheltenham Novice Hurdle Races

Odds are provided at time of writing, please check your betslip to confirm they have not changed before betting.

Gold Cup

The Irish Gold Cup was a remarkable story, but form that I will be forgetting rather quickly.

Edwulf, Joseph O’Brien and everyone who helped to save his life was the real story, but the Irish Gold Cup was a poor affair. Our Duke doesn’t jump well enough to be a Gold Cup contender, and I’d be wary of Kilultagh Vic also as he has clear jumping issues. It’s hard to fancy one after a fall in a race like the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Kilultagh Vic was going to run away with this, but even had he done so, I’d be happily taking him on. It was a truly unremarkable contest.

The Irish challenge that was boosted was the horses who didn’t run here like Coney Island and Sizing John, and that says it all really.

At this juncture, it’s clear that Might Bite is definitely still the one to beat in this division. I’m still content with my Coney Island wager however.

Bet on The Gold Cup

Odds are provided at time of writing, please check your betslip to confirm they have not changed before betting.

Champion Chase

Min was awesome, he really was.

Yorkhill confirmed his status as an out and out mad bastard and it’s hard to make any case for him in any race at the Cheltenham festival.

Min travelled well, jumped well and looked like he might finally be fulfilling the clear promise he has always shown.

I still think a fully fit Altior wins the Champion Chase, but it’s great to see another viable challenger as I don’t think Politilogue is anywhere near Altior, or even Min for that matter.

Min has every right to go close in this contest and he add’s a level of intrigue to a division that really needed it.

Bet on The Champion Chase

Odds are provided at time of writing, please check your betslip to confirm they have not changed before betting.

The Others…

In the Handicap Chase on Saturday, I thought Tully East and Blast of Koeman looked like horses who were well handicapped and are not far away from winning. The winner, Patricks Punt also looked like a horse who would be winning again.

It was in the handicap hurdle on Saturday that my interest was really grabbed. The winner, Off You Go, was very good and could well knock up a few more wins as he idled if anything on the run in, but the horse to take out of the race was most definitely Rich Ricci’s Deal D’estruval.

On only his second run, he made up ferocious ground and whilst never quite getting to grips with the winner, he looked full of promise and only went down by a length or so.

He will be extremely interesting in either the Coral Cup or Martin Pipe, as I think he will be even better over an extended trip.

Blackbow looked excellent in the Grade Two bumper and will naturally be a force to be reckoned with now going forward. He will be some chaser in the future and is a fine stamp of a horse!

It truly was an amazing few days of racing and I think the picture became clearer as to who is in a good position for the Cheltenham festival in five or so weeks’ time.